


The Rhett To Her Scarlett

by thilia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-28
Updated: 2010-03-28
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:45:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thilia/pseuds/thilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For years, Pansy had been convinced that he was the only man she could be happy with. At a costume ball, she planned to seduce him and win him over but ended up realising that she needed someone else entirely...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rhett To Her Scarlett

**Author's Note:**

> Written for hp_couplesremix. Based on the story of Gone With The Wind.

"Millie, stop! It's too tight, I can't fucking breathe!" Pansy snapped, holding on to the bedpost and looking over her shoulder to glare at her friend.

Millicent glared back and let go of the other girl to fold her arms over her chest in defiance. "Excuse me? May I remind you that you're the one who decided to wear this stupid costume? It's not my fault Scarlett O'Hara's outfit includes a corset, so stop blaming me! I'm just helping you get dressed, like you asked me to, so shut the hell up and suffer for your beauty like everyone else."

Pansy glared at her for another moment, then sighed and waved a hand, signalling the other girl to go on. "Still," she muttered after a second or two. "There's no need to be so goddamn rough with me. I'm grateful you're helping me but sometimes you just don't know your own strength. Now please _try_ to be gentler."

Millicent huffed but continued in silence which was only interrupted by Pansy's quiet hisses as Millicent pulled her corset tight. "Besides," Pansy went on, "it's not like I'm doing this for myself."

Millicent snorted. "Of course not." Pansy glared and resisted the urge to kick Millicent with the pointy heel of her shoe.

"Well," she sighed instead. "I'm doing it because it's the only way to get him to look at me. And my sources tell me that he'll go as Rhett Butler, so if I'm the Scarlett to his Rhett, he'll be forced to dance with me, and then he'll realise that _I'm_ the One for him, not that silly Weasley bint."

She could feel Millicent's eyes digging into her back as she tied the ribbon at the back of the corset and moved to get the dress out of the closet. "Who told you anyway?" she asked, meeting Pansy's eyes briefly before she slid the dress over her friend's head and helped her put it on.

"Someone who knows," Pansy merely murmured, pulling the dress down and pushing her breasts up while Millicent closed the buttons at the back. It was crucial that she looked her best tonight. "Lavender."

Pansy could feel more than see Millicent's eyebrows shoot up as she snickered. "You're trusting Brown? Seriously?"

Pansy whirled around and glared, then almost fell over because this bloody dress was much heavier than she'd expected. She gripped the bedpost, then smoothed the expensive fabric of her clothes before reaching for the hat and putting it on. "Of course I am. She's never given me a reason not to trust her. She knows what's going on in the Wizarding world and she used to be a bloody Gryffindor and is very close with some of his friends, so she must know what she's talking about."

Millicent shrugged, knowing it was futile to try to convince Pansy of the contrary, especially so shortly before the ball. "Well, if you're sure," she murmured, leaning against the wall beside the mirror Pansy was inspecting her appearance in. "Anyway, good luck."

Pansy raised an eyebrow, practicing her best, arrogant Vivien Leigh look before allowing a smile to stretch across red lips. "Thank you, but I won't need it," she said confidently. "Tonight he will be mine."

~*~

Pansy couldn't remember ever having felt this nervous and ridiculous before. When she and Daphne – who was unsurprisingly and highly unoriginally wearing a pink princess dress – entered the hall, all of Pansy's previous confidence had left her and she felt self-conscious and out of place. Daphne touched her arm and gave her a reassuring smile, and after taking a deep breath – not a small feat in that goddamned corset – Pansy felt a little better.

"I need a drink," she murmured, heading straight for the bar. When she'd taken a sip of her Vodka Lemon and was rejoined by Daphne to take a stroll through the hall, she felt herself relax further and some of her earlier confidence came back; especially when some men whistled their compliments as she walked past them. She could do this. She looked gorgeous and she knew it. There was no way he'd be able to resist once he saw her.

"Oh my god, _Pansy_!" Her reverie was interrupted by the shrill voice of Lavender Brown who made her way towards them in a gorgeous pale green silk dress. "You've outdone yourself," she said once she'd reached Pansy and Daphne, giving both of them two air-kisses and a bright smile. "You've never looked better. Look at that dress!"

Pansy grinned and let Lavender twirl her around and admire her outfit. "Thanks, love! You look quite beautiful yourself. Arwen from the Lord of the Rings, am I right?"

Lavender giggled. "Yes. Seamus decided to come as Aragorn and I couldn't be more pleased. Look, I made the ears myself."

Pansy smiled tightly as she pretended to be interested in Lavender's transfigured pointy ears, then decided to address more important matters. "Is he here yet? Have you seen him?"

Lavender shook her head. "No, I don't think he's arrived yet. But he should be here any minute, don't you worry." She took a look around before letting out another pleased coo. "Oh, excuse me for a second; I simply _must_ talk to Parvati. Doesn't she make a beautiful Jasmine? Her skin looks simply _radiant_!"

Daphne and Pansy exchanged a look and snickered as Lavender swished off; she really was something else. Pansy sipped on her drink again and then let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, I can't take the suspense any longer," she whined, taking another look around. "What if he's not coming?"

Daphne gave her a smile and rubbed her arm gently. "He will come, don't worry. He'll-"

She broke off abruptly and Pansy looked at her in worry as Daphne's eyes widened. "What? What is it?"

"Oh Pansy," Daphne just said before pointing to the doors. Pansy whirled around and dropped her half-full glass of vodka in shock; a house elf caught it before it could shatter. Her eyes fell on Harry Potter who was wearing a white mask and a deep red velvet outfit. For a moment, Pansy thought he was alone, but then she spotted the Weaslette, dressed up as the Phantom of the Opera's Christine.

Pansy felt her stomach tighten and her nails dug into Daphne's forearm as she tried to keep breathing. At that moment, Lavender came rushing towards her, her eyes wide. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I had no idea Ginny was back in town; she must've convinced Harry to wear that... I'm so sorry, Pansy, I was sure she wouldn't be here tonight, and Seamus did tell me Harry was going as Rhett... God, and you went through so much trouble to get that dress made..."

Lavender was biting her lip as she watched Potter and his stupid girlfriend greet a few friends. "Well," she finally said. "If it's any consolation, Ginny looks absolutely horrible in her outfit. She's getting a little chubby, isn't she? I bet she couldn't find a good Scarlett dress, and that white dress she's wearing now looks like her mother made it. You look so much better than her."

Pansy closed her eyes, forcing herself to inhale and exhale steadily. It wasn't a consolation at all, especially since she knew that Lavender was lying. Ginny looked beautiful; even Pansy had to admit that. And Potter, who had now taken off his mask, couldn't take his eyes off of her. Pansy couldn't blame him. Chubby or not, Ginny Weasley looked amazing. Pansy swallowed hard and was about to run out of the hall and go home to drown her sorrow in alcohol when a deep voice behind her startled her. "Well, well, if it isn't Miss O'Hara."

Pansy turned around and came face-to-face with... Rhett Butler. A ginger Rhett Butler. She stared up at Ron Weasley who was giving her an amused smirk, apparently finding the situation at hand extremely funny. "Would you do me the honour of granting me the next dance?"

It wasn't until then that Pansy finally found her voice back and she directed all of the anger she felt for Potter, his stupid girlfriend, Lavender and herself at Weasley. "Fuck off, Weasley," she snapped. "I would _never_ dance with you."

She turned around and headed for the nearest exit, storming into the bathroom and gripping the sink hard as she gasped for air. The door opened and Daphne followed, closing the distance between them quickly and rubbing Pansy's back comfortingly. "Breathe, Pansy. Just breathe. It's okay."

"Nothing is okay!" Pansy cried, meeting Daphne's eyes in the mirror. "Nothing! I spent a fortune on this stupid handmade dress because I was _sure_ Potter was going home with me tonight! Do you have any idea how long I've waited for a perfect opportunity like this? I... I thought he'd see me and be blown away by how beautiful I am and fall in love with me and forget all about silly Ginny Weasley. I'm so fucking _stupid_! He would never look at me. He's just too good for me!"

Daphne was biting her lip and giving Pansy a pitiful look which only enraged Pansy even more. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped. "I know I'm pathetic but I can't help it! I've been in love with this guy for nearly ten years. Ten miserable years and I've tried to forget him every single day but nothing I do seems to work! He's just..."

She shook her head before bursting into tears and sliding down onto the floor. Daphne hitched up her dress and knelt down beside her, still rubbing Pansy's back comfortingly. "Honey, he's not perfect," she said softly. "And you will get over him, I promise. And not all hope is lost. He may have a girlfriend but he would have to be deeply disturbed to even consider spending the rest of his life with Weasley. She's put on weight, hasn't she? Maybe he'll stop finding her attractive and will focus his attention on someone who's much more worthy of it – like you. Don't cry, Pansy. Perhaps this just wasn't the perfect opportunity you were hoping for."

Daphne was silent for a moment and Pansy finally managed to get her breathing under control. "I could kill Lavender," she muttered, wiping her tears away angrily. "And Weasley! That he has the _gall_ to show up in that outfit... Ugh!"

Daphne couldn't suppress a snicker and Pansy stared at her. "What's so funny?"

Daphne shook her head and grinned. "Sorry, but doesn't he just look perfectly ridiculous? With that fake red moustache and his gelled-back hair... I can't think of anyone who looks less than Rhett Butler."

Pansy found herself laughing and sobbing at the same time. "He did look rather stupid," she admitted, letting out another giggle before allowing Daphne to pull her up and fix her makeup.

"Come on now. We go out there and try to have fun. There are other men out there. Better men. And you can have them all, Pansy Parkinson. You don't need the Boy Who Lived to be happy, do you hear me?"

Pansy felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, and nodded. "All right," she finally agreed, seeing Daphne's point. There were many handsome men out there, and she would try not to think about Potter for at least this one night. After all, she'd been looking forward to this ball for weeks, and she wouldn't let that stupid, scar-headed Gryffindor ruin it for her. She was a good-looking, wealthy young woman and she didn't need Potter at all. She would find herself a handsome man, get laid and forget Potter... eventually.

~*~

Back in the hall, Ron had caught up with Harry and Ginny and was now looking around for Pansy Parkinson. He couldn't believe he was really _looking_ for her, and even less could he explain his sudden attraction to her. Pansy had changed a lot since Ron had last seen her. It had been seven years since they'd last met in Diagon Alley, shortly after the final battle, and Pansy had become a truly beautiful woman. The pug-nose was less pronounced than it had been at school, and she'd abandoned the haircut she'd had at Hogwarts for something a little more modern; her hair was still short but looked much more grown-up and... well, sexy and just a little cheeky – which seemed to fit her personality excellently.

He hadn't given her a single thought in those long years which made the fact that he was so drawn to her now even more inexplicable. Hermione was at home sick and had encouraged him to go to the ball without her. Reluctantly, Ron had agreed, but only because Harry had graciously given him this costume. When Ron had dressed up as Rhett Butler, he would never have thought to see Pansy in a Scarlett O'Hara dress.

He shook his head in amusement. He couldn't help it, the situation just seemed very... ironic. That Pansy – of all people – would've chosen to go as Scarlett... Well, the role was perfect for her, of course. She was just as snarky and arrogant as the real Scarlett. And of course she had the looks. And Ron couldn't help it – he wanted at least one dance with her. He didn't have to worry about Hermione's disapproval since she wasn't here, so he kept looking around and wondering why Pansy had seemed so upset before.

It didn't take long before he spotted her again, still talking to Daphne Greengrass and her sister Astoria. He watched her for a few moments, feeling an odd kind of jealousy grip him when three men approached the pretty girls and Pansy went out of her way to flirt with all three of them.

He knocked back the rest of his whiskey before making his way over to her to ask her again. He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss O'Hara? I won't take no for an answer. I insist you dance with me tonight."

Pansy looked up at him with a glare, her dark brows knitting together and her cheeks filling with a strangely attractive red colour. "I have no interest in dancing with you, Weasley. I told you to leave me alone. Besides..." She reached for one of the men's arm and stuck her nose up in a very "Scarlett" fashion. "I've promised this dance to Theo."

With those words, she tugged the guy – Theodore Nott, as Ron noticed now – to the dance floor, sliding her arms around his neck as they began to dance, leaving Ron to look after her stupidly.

~*~

"The _nerve_ ," Pansy muttered, making Theodore raise an eyebrow in question. Pansy just smiled and shook her head, resting her chin on Nott's shoulder as she danced with him, glancing back at Weasley who was still watching her. What was this guy's problem? Just because they were wearing matching costumes didn't mean that Pansy had to dance with him!

She sighed and moved with Theodore while watching Potter and Ginny dance on the other side of the hall. Maybe Lavender was right. The dress didn't look particularly good on her. It made her look fat. A smirk appeared on Pansy's lips as satisfaction filled her body. She was definitely prettier than that nasty freckled thing.

The dance with Theodore ended and she went back to Daphne and Astoria who was now throwing herself at Draco. Pansy exchanged a look with her male best friend, eyeing him pitifully while he grimaced, making Pansy smile. She would have to thank Daphne later; the ball wasn't half-bad, even without the peak of dancing with Potter. She leaned against the bar and watched the crowd, lost in thought when she felt a now-familiar presence next to her. She let out a heavy sigh and turned to glare at Weasley. "What do you want? Just leave me alone, Weasley. You don't want to dance with me, and I don't want to dance with you, so why can't you just bugger off and be with your girlfriend?"

Ron eyed her. "Because she's not here," he said simply, sipping his whiskey.

Pansy sighed. "Oh great. So Granger was too proud to come to the ball and have fun, and now you're bored and that's why you're bugging me? Fantastic," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Weasley raised an eyebrow.

"I'm only asking for one dance, Parkinson," he said dryly. "I'm not asking you to marry me."

"I told you, I have no interest in dancing with a blood-traitor like you."

Ron turned to her, his eyes narrowed. "No, but you would dance with Harry, wouldn't you?"

Pansy felt her face drain of all colour but she managed not to blink. She met Weasley's eyes and raised a brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ron snorted. "Of course you do. I've seen you looking at him. You've spent the entire evening watching him. You have a thing for him, don't you? Well, too bad, because he's with my sister. And if you must know? She's pregnant and they're getting married in the fall. He loves her and he's not planning on leaving her anytime soon, so take my advice and forget him."

He turned around and walked away; and this time, it was Pansy who was blinking stupidly, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Was her crush on Harry really that obvious? Who else knew? And the Weaslette was pregnant? Well, that explained the chubbiness.

She watched Weasley cross the room, and moments later, he was dancing with Loony Lovegood. For some reason, Pansy didn't like that at all.

*~*

Later in the evening, Pansy was dancing with a handsome blond who seemed to think she was some kind of goddess. He was charming, even though he was slurring and obviously drunk. They'd danced for two songs and a half when the guy suddenly pulled away and headed for the door, his hand covering his mouth. Okay, he was clearly much drunker than she'd thought. She shuddered in disgust and was glad he hadn't thrown up all over her dress. She turned around and ran straight into someone whose arms immediately wrapped around her to steady her.

Pansy looked up and groaned; for a moment she'd really hoped she'd managed to escape Weasley, but now he was back again, and holding her. "Let me go," she hissed, not wanting to make a scene.

"I told you," Weasley said, and the stupid grin was back on his face, "I won't take no for an answer. You owe me one dance, and until you give it to me, you won't get rid of me." A red eyebrow arched and he looked down at her smugly, his arms still firmly wrapped around her.

"I don't owe you anything!" Pansy glared at him for a few moments, then sighed. "Fine. If it'll make you go away." She reluctantly slid her arms around Weasley's neck, answering Daphne's curious look with a shrug of her shoulders. She kept her eyes on the side of Weasley's freckled neck, too embarrassed about the fact that she was dancing with a bloody Weasley, to bear any more odd looks. After a while, she felt herself relax in his arms; his embrace was strangely comforting. She let out a sigh and felt his arms tighten around her.

"So how long have you been in love with Harry?" his quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. Pansy felt herself go rigid in his arms and he smoothed a hand down her back to – what? calm her? Either way, it was working and she frowned as she wondered what the hell was happening to her.

"A few years," she murmured, then added, "since fifth year."

"That long?" Weasley sounded surprised and Pansy shrugged in defence. "Why do you even care?"

"I don't," Ron replied, and Pansy shivered when she felt his warm breath on the bare skin of her neck. "And you've never tried to get over him? Why aren’t you seeing anyone?"

"That's none of your business," Pansy snapped, about to pull away but Weasley's arms tightened around her again, successfully trapping her in his embrace.

She suddenly felt Weasley's cheek against her own and his lips stretch into a grin. "I think you need a good shag to get over him."

Pansy's eyebrows shot up and she choked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Weasley drew back to give her a grin, and Pansy couldn't help but notice the strangely adorable dimples in his cheeks. "It's true. There's nothing like a good fuck to get over someone."

Pansy stared at him open-mouthed, then couldn't suppress an incredulous laugh – was he really talking to her about sex?!

Weasley just grinned and Pansy felt that odd feeling in the pit of her stomach again; something like a flutter. It pulled her back to reality and she jerked back, successfully escaping him. "Just... mind your own business," she muttered and turned around. She should've left hours ago. She couldn't explain to herself or anyone else why Weasley had such an odd effect on her, but he did. She left the hall and made her way to the fireplace to Floo home. It wasn't too late to get drunk and pass out on the couch.

What she wasn't prepared for was for Weasley to follow her – though really, she shouldn't have been surprised. After all he'd been following her around like a lost puppy all evening.

"Parkinson. Parkinson!" Pansy didn't stop until she felt his large hand wrap around her wrist and turn her around roughly. "Pansy."

She stared up into his eyes and realised with horror that her own eyes were filling with tears. She had no idea what was wrong with her tonight; she just wanted to get away. "He wouldn't be good for you," Weasley said in a strange voice, still holding her wrist. "He's with Ginny, and he will be with her for the rest of his life. Just forget about him."

"I said it's none of your business!" Pansy snapped, trying to pull away which only resulted in him wrapping his arms around her and her own resolve crumbling. Damn it, why did that guy suddenly have such power over her? And when had he become this tall and muscular and strong?

"But it is!" he said in a low voice, staring down at her, blue eyes locking with green ones. "He's my best friend and I won't let anything come between him and my sister. You need to focus your attention on available men."

Pansy snorted. "What, like you?"

Ron's brows knit together and Pansy held her breath; suddenly there was something odd in Weasley's eyes and she couldn't breathe – and for the first time tonight, it wasn't the corset's fault.

Before she had the time to pull away or answer, Ron pressed his lips against hers and Pansy struggled in surprise. The kiss was hard and rough, and Weasley's lips slightly chapped, but still Pansy felt herself giving in, gasping for breath as she answered the kiss hungrily.

Ron's arms tightened around her even more, lifting her off the floor, and as she lost herself in the kiss, she was vaguely aware of him carrying her over to the fireplace, never taking his lips off hers. When he set her down, Pansy had to hold on to him to regain her balance, and stared at him, panting and seeing her own sudden hunger reflected in his eyes. When he let go of her arm, she felt her knees buckle but just when she thought she was going to hit the floor, Weasley picked her up and she squeaked in surprise, sliding her arms around his neck without even thinking of fighting him anymore.

"Take me to your place. I'll make you forget," he said in a demanding voice, and under normal circumstances, Pansy would've hated the smug confidence in his voice, but right now, it was extremely erotic and left Pansy no other choice than to breathe her address as Ron dropped a fistful of Floo powder into the fireplace. Green flames swallowed them and transported them to Pansy's flat.

They landed softly and Pansy just managed to point to the door that led to her bedroom before Weasley kissed her again. He carried her into said bedroom, his teeth grazing over her bottom lip before he threw her on to the bed, making Pansy stare up at him in wonder. She was breathing hard and as Weasley tugged off his jacket and slid on top of her, using his bare hands to tear her dress off her body, Pansy just blinked.

Her chest was rising and falling quickly as she watched the admiration in Weasley's eyes as he stared at her in her too-tight corset. "Take it off," she breathed. "Get it off me. Now!"

She sat up and turned around, letting out a breathless laugh at his frustrated moan as he fumbled with the fastenings of the corset. He finally reached for his wand and a moment later, the corset fell open, finally giving Pansy the opportunity to suck in a lungful of air. She slid the corset off and shivered when she felt his lips brush her bare shoulder. She leaned back against him, feeling his slightly hairy chest pressed against her naked back, and closed her eyes, letting out a soft moan when Ron's large hand reached for one of her breasts, cupping and squeezing it lightly as he trailed kisses up her neck. His free hand slid down her stomach and two fingers brushed the soft fabric of her knickers.

She reached back to wrap a hand around his cock, a moan escaping her as she felt the warm hardness beneath her fingertips. Ron groaned and shifted a little to pull her back onto his lap, and Pansy couldn't lift her hips and slide down onto him fast enough. A loud moan escaped her as she felt his cock slide into her; the thick shaft almost splitting her in two. She closed her eyes and moaned when his hands yet again cupped her breasts, then travelled down her hips to guide her thrusts on his cock. Her arousal grew with every move, and it didn't take long for both of them to reach their orgasms. She came with a cry of pleasure while Ron buried his face in her shoulder and only managed a soft grunt.

He held her for long minutes afterwards, his strong arms wrapped around her as he panted against her neck. Finally, he took hold of her hips and slid her off him, not letting go of her as he lay down and spooned her. She swallowed hard, reluctantly allowing the intimate position and embrace, and unconsciously snuggling into him. She'd always hated the cuddling-after-sex part but now she relaxed instantly and covered his hand on her stomach with her own.

There was a long silence as they both came down from their high, and it was Pansy who first found something to say. "You have a girlfriend," she pointed out quietly, continuing their conversation from before. "You're not available. You're just as unattainable as Potter, and I can't believe you just–"

He silenced her with a finger against her lip and pushed himself up to look down into her eyes. "Hermione is no longer the woman I fell in love with," he said quietly. "She's changed and has become..." He trailed off and avoided her eyes briefly before meeting them again. "And frankly? I don't give a damn. Not about her, not about anything. I don't really know why, but I haven't felt this kind of passion in a long time. Or ever, really. And I want more of it. More of _you_."

Pansy held the eye contact for several minutes, then turned around in his arms and gently brushed her lips over Ron's. She didn't even really like him but there was something oddly comforting about his words and touches. The passion between them had surprised both of them, and when Pansy deepened the kiss, she wondered if she'd maybe fallen in love with the wrong member of the Golden Trio.

They kissed lazily for what felt like hours before Ron got dressed and left to go back to his girlfriend, promising to come back the next day. When Pansy had made herself a cup of tea and sat down on a chair on her balcony after he'd left, everything that had happened that night, all the emotion, washed over her and tears streamed down her face. She cried for a long time but in the end, she realised that even if things with Weasley didn't work out, she'd always have that night. Weasley had opened her eyes and shown her that Harry was not the only man out there. She'd taken a significant step towards forgetting Harry and she'd always be grateful to Ron for that.

As exhaustion washed over her later in bed, she felt herself longing for Weasley's strong arms around her; they'd made her feel protected and all her loneliness disappear, and she realised that that was what she needed. She needed that passion and for someone to need her as much as she needed him. She was certain that Weasley could give her what she wanted and make her forget Potter entirely. And his words about his seemingly dying relationship with Hermione had given her hope. He had gone back to her tonight but he would be back. He wanted more. He wanted her.

Pansy knew that everything was about to change, and as she felt sleep wash over her, she smiled. "Tomorrow is another day..."


End file.
